Who doesn’t love going out to dinner – especially with good friends? And it gets even better when you go to a restaurant that has an innovative menu like T-Bones Chop House in Las Vegas. I remember having Snapper with wonderful lemon caper sauce. It was really good but the thing I remember most was a side we ordered. Roasted Tomatoes with Spinach and Parmesan. Being a veggie-loving person, this side dish really stood out. It was healthy, creative and absolutely delicious.
Roasted Tomatoes with Spinach and Parmesan
So when I got back to my kitchen, I had to recreate it. Healthwise, I loved the idea the idea of tomato combined with spinach. Of course I had to improve it by adding a bit of garlic and butter. It just makes it taste richer. And then I substituted freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for the American Cheese.
You can actually use any Parmesan cheese, but I think the Reggiano is the best. I really love the little crunchy bits in it that just have fabulous flavor. Regular Parmesan cheese is good, but the the Reggiano is just better. It has a richer nuttier flavor that regular Parmesan doesn’t have. I know. I know. It’s a lot more expensive, but some things are worth it. Justify it by knowing you don’t have to use as much because the flavor is more intense.
Finally on top of the cheese I add Panko bread crumbs and lightly drizzled olive oil over each for a bit of crunch and texture. Then I put the tomatoes in an oven proof dish at 350 for 20 minutes. If the tomato is still firm, let it cook another 5 minutes. Beyond that it could get a bit too soft. It’s perfect when the Panko is browned and beautiful and the tomatoes are slightly giving.
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Roasted Tomatoes with Spinach and Parmesan
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Tomatoes
- 1/2 Tsp Olive oil
- 1 Tsp Butter
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 2 Cups Baby spinach Freshly washed
- 1/4 Tsp Pepper
- 3 Tsp Parmesan Cheese Parmigiano-Reggiano is preferred
- 1 Tsp Panko crumbs
- 1 Tsp Olive oil
- 1/4 Tsp Salt Himalayan Pink Salt is preferred
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Grease oven proof pan with olive oil.
- Cut tomatoes in half width wise, seed them and slice a small portion off each bottom to allow tomatoes to stand firmly. Place tomatoes in the prepared dish.
- In a saute pan over medium high heat, add butter and garlic. Cook and stir 1 minute Then add spinach and pepper and stir until spinach just begins to wilt. Remove from heat and add cooked spinach equally on top of the tomatoes.
- Top the tomatoes with equal portions of the Parmesan cheese. Then sprinkle the Panko crumbs on top of the cheese. Drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake in oven 20 minutes until tomato has a slight give and the bread crumbs are brown.
Nutrition
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